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Tuesday, July 31, 2012
AskMissA: Library Wedding Theme Ideas http://t.co/Yc41SB5f
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The Best Proof Yet That Apple's Next iPhone Will Look Entirely Different [Iphone 5]
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Italy's Monti sees hope of end to euro crisis
ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said on Tuesday there was light at the end of the tunnel of the euro zone debt crisis but offered no clear signal on the prospects of the bold action this week by officials hoped for by financial markets.
"Decidedly yes," he said in answer to a question on Italian state radio RAI. "It is a tunnel but ... some light is appearing at the end of the tunnel. We and the rest of Europe are approaching the end of the tunnel."
He added that decisions taken at last month's EU summit were starting to show fruit.
"We are now seeing results both in the willingness of European institutions as well as from the governments of individual countries, including Germany," he said.
Monti, who leaves later on Tuesday for a trip to France, Finland and Spain, said he hoped his meeting with French President Francois Hollande would accelerate moves to strengthen the euro and spur growth.
Markets are watching all comments by European leaders closely for any signs - so far lacking - that Monti and others have convinced Germany of the need for stronger immediate action.
That would open the door for the European Central Bank to announce bold moves later this week, making good on its head Mario Draghi's promise to do "whatever it takes" to rescue the euro.
"We want to give a sense of the solid and strong work carried out together, work being done with Germany, which is an essential point of reference," he said.
"Both Hollande and I have recently had contact with Chancellor Merkel. We have a way of working together which does not exclude anyone. The breakthrough will be to push everyone to enact the decisions made in Brussels at the end of June without delay and without turning back," he said.
Monti said he would try to convince the Finns, who are skeptical about the commitment to austerity in southern Europe's debt-loaded nations, to recognize Italy's progress in economic reforms.
"It is very important that all of us in Europe, regardless of latitudes, see to it that the euro, which is the pinnacle of the cathedral of the construction of Europe, does not become a cause of disintegration," he said.
"We all have to make a effort to overcome reciprocal prejudices, to look each other straight in the eye and look at the statistics. Finland has made extraordinary progress in its economy in recent years and I hope the Finns recognize what Italy has done in these years and these months," he said.
He also said he was confident that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy would be able to tackle the country's problems.
(Reporting By Philip Pullella; editing by Barry Moody and Patrick Graham)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/italys-monti-says-sees-light-end-tunnel-euro-073651650.html
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Romantic crooner Tony Martin dies at 98
FILE - This Feb. 14, 1957 file photo shows singer Tony Martin at testimonial dinner given Jack Benny by the Frizes Club in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Martin, the romantic singer who appeared in movie musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s and sustained a career in records, television and nightclubs from the Depression era into the 21st century, died of natural causes Friday, July 27, 2012, at his West Los Angeles home, his friend and accountant Beverly Scott said Monday. He was 98. (AP Photo, file)
FILE - This Feb. 14, 1957 file photo shows singer Tony Martin at testimonial dinner given Jack Benny by the Frizes Club in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Martin, the romantic singer who appeared in movie musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s and sustained a career in records, television and nightclubs from the Depression era into the 21st century, died of natural causes Friday, July 27, 2012, at his West Los Angeles home, his friend and accountant Beverly Scott said Monday. He was 98. (AP Photo, file)
FILE - In this September 1956 photo, singer Tony Martin arrived in New York from London where he recently completed "Jeannie" and immediately took off for Los Angeles where lovely wife, Cyd Charisse, was waiting for him. Martin, the romantic singer who appeared in movie musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s and sustained a career in records, television and nightclubs from the Depression era into the 21st century, has died Friday, July 27, 2012. He was 98. (AP Photo, File)
FILE - This July 8, 1960 file photo shows singer Tony Martin at the Cocoanut Grave night club at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Martin, the romantic singer who appeared in movie musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s and sustained a career in records, television and nightclubs from the Depression era into the 21st century, died of natural causes Friday, July 27, 2012, at his West Los Angeles home, his friend and accountant Beverly Scott said Monday. He was 98. (AP Photo, file)
FILE - In this Dec. 5, 1999 file photo, singer Tony Martin and his wife Cyd Charisse pose for photographers as they arrive for the Los Angeles premiere of "Diamonds" at the Mann Festival Theater in the Westwood section of Los Angeles. Martin, the romantic crooner and star of Hollywood musicals, has died on Friday, July 27, 2012 at 98. (AP Photo/Neil Jacobs, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Tony Martin, the romantic singer who appeared in movie musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s and sustained a career in records, television and nightclubs from the Depression era into the 21st century, has died. He was 98.
Martin died of natural causes Friday evening at his West Los Angeles home, his friend and accountant Beverly Scott said Monday.
A peer of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, Martin sang full voice in a warm baritone that carried special appeal for his female audience. Among his hit recordings were "I Get Ideas," ''To Each His Own," ''Begin the Beguine" and "There's No Tomorrow."
"He's the ultimate crooner who outlasted all is contemporaries," musician and longtime friend Gabriel Guerrero said from his Oregon home. Martin recently sang to Guerrero over the telephone.
"He has truly remained the butterscotch baritone until he was 98," Guerrero added.
Although he never became a full-fledged movie star, he was featured in 25 films, most of them made during the heyday of the Hollywood musicals. A husky 6 feet tall and dashingly handsome, he was often cast as the romantic lead.
He also married two movie musical superstars, Alice Faye and Cyd Charisse, and the latter union lasted 60 years, until her death in 2008.
Martin found his escape through music while growing up in San Francisco and Oakland amid a poor, close-knit Russian Jewish family, enduring taunts and slights from gentile classmates.
"I always sang," he wrote. "I always played some instrument or other, real or imagined. ... At first, of course, my music was just for my own fun. I didn't recognize it right away as my passport away from poverty."
Performing on radio led to his break into the film business. His first singing role came in the 1936 "Sing Baby Sing," which starred future wife Faye and introduced the Ritz Brothers to the screen as a more frenetic version of the Marx Brothers.
As a contract player at Twentieth Century-Fox, Martin also appeared in "Pigskin Parade" (featuring young Judy Garland), "Banjo on My Knee" (Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea) "Sing and Be Happy," ''You Can't Have Everything" (Faye, Don Ameche) "Ali Baba Goes to Town" (comedian Eddie Cantor) and "Sally, Irene and Mary."
In 1940 he shifted to MGM and sang in such films as "The Ziegfeld Girl" (James Stewart, Lana Turner, Judy Garland), "The Big Store" (the Marx Brothers), "Till the Clouds Roll By," ''Easy to Love" (Esther Williams) and "Deep in My Heart."
In 1948, he produced and starred in "Casbah," a well-received film musical version of "Algiers" with a fine score by Harold Arlen and Leo Robin. He made singing tours of Europe and had a yearly contract at London's Palladium.
Martin had fallen in love with Faye while at Fox, where she was one of the studio's biggest stars. Married in 1937, the newlyweds were considered one of Hollywood's handsomest couples. But the marriage eroded because of career conflicts and his distaste for becoming known as Mr. Alice Faye. They divorced after two years.
Martin met Charisse, then a rising dance star at MGM, when they were dinner partners at a party given by their mutual agent. Just returned from the war, Martin was busy greeting old friends and paid her little attention.
They didn't meet until a year later, when the persistent agent arranged another date. This time they clicked, and they married in 1948. She had a son Nicky, born of her first marriage to dance director Nico Charisse. She gave birth to Tony Jr. in 1950.
Charisse became a star at MGM during the 1950s, dancing with Fred Astaire in "The Band Wagon" and "Silk Stockings" and Gene Kelly in "Singin' in the Rain" and "Brigadoon."
In later years, Martin and Charisee put out a 1976 double autobiography, "The Two of Us," and often toured in a singing and dancing shows. He continued appearances into his 90s, his voice only slightly tarnished by time.
"His voice is more or less intact," a New York Times critic wrote when he appeared at a New York club in early 2008. "Time has certainly taken its toll. He no longer belts. ... But the essential Tony Martin sound was still discernible."
Martin was born Dec. 25, 1913. His parents divorced when he was an infant.
"I was a Christmas present in a family that didn't believe in Christmas," Martin wrote. "The name they gave me when I was born on Christmas Day, 1913, was Alvin Morris. Tony Martin wasn't born for a long time after that."
He attended St. Mary's College of California, where he and other students formed a popular jazz combo, The Five Red Peppers. After college, he formed Al Morris and His Orchestra, and played in San Francisco nightclubs like the Chez Paree, often appearing on late-night national radio.
MGM chief Louis B. Mayer heard the bandleader sing "Poor Butterfly" on radio and ordered a screen test. It was a failure, but an agent landed Morris a contract at RKO, where he got a new name. He had enjoyed the music of Freddie Martin at the Coconut Grove, so he borrowed the name. "Tony" came from a magazine story.
His career at RKO was notable for a one-line bit in the 1936 "Follow the Fleet," which starred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. He had better luck at Fox, but nightclubbing every night with a succession of film beauties detracted from his work.
"I was so busy having fun that I didn't even learn my lines," he admitted in 1955. "I muffed a wonderful chance, and that was the end of me for a while."
World War II brought the one big scandal in his life. He enlisted in the Navy in 1941 and was given a specialist ranking. A year later, a Navy officer who facilitated Martin's enlistment was court-martialed, accused of accepting a $950 automobile from him. The singer was not charged but was dismissed from the Navy for unfitness. He asked his draft board for immediate induction into the Army and served three years in Asia.
The scandal lingered over Martin's head after the war, but he managed to rebuild his career with radio, films, personal appearances and records.
He is survived by stepson Nico Charisse.
Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City was handling funeral arrangements.
___
Associated Press Writer Jeff Wilson contributed to this report.
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A Quick Look at Zoom Tooth Whitening | Dental Care
Health and Fitness | Dental Care | * Written by Peter Roseberg | Monday, 30 July 2012 04:05 | Word Count: 568
The thing about laser teeth whitening or light-activated teeth whitening is that it is anything but painful or long. While it is agreeably one of the most expensive procedures one can go through for the sake of having whiter teeth, many previous patients swear by its effectivity which of course, is helped along with proper care and maintenance. A procedure done at the dentist?s office, it is one that is widely-used worldwide.?
It is a convenient all-in-one kit that already includes a tooth whitener, a bleaching light and mouth guards where the whitening gel is put in before it is placed over your teeth and activated by the bleaching light. The mouth guard also protects your gums from the whitening gel. The whole process begins when a dentist applies the whitening gel directly to the teeth and then using the bleaching light, which is made of mercury metal halide, activates and speeds up the whitening process. The Zoom Tooth Whitening South Melbourne process only takes between 30 minutes to an hour to do, but remarkable results can already be seen. Strategically placed and used correctly, the bleaching light is able to whiten the teeth from top to bottom simultaneously.?
However, despite the rave reviews Zoom whitening gets from those who?ve already tried it and loved how it whitened their teeth, there are still some people who are hesitant about trying it out and so they should be. While it may be the most popular whitening treatment at the moment, it is still best to consult with a dentist to see if it is the best treatment for you. As a general rule, whitening procedures are recommended for people with healthy gums and unrestored teeth, and those with yellowish surface tones.?
The degree of whitening also depends on the original condition of the teeth and as mentioned, will last longer with proper care and maintenance ? and this includes avoiding any teeth-staining food or beverages. The good news is you may be able to have your teeth touched up a year or so after your initial treatment. With Zoom teeth whitening, however, you must do this once every 8 to 12 months and simply use over the counter whiteners in between to maintain the whiteness of your teeth. Too much Zoom whitening treatments may result in tooth dehydration because of the high levels of heat from the laser.?
Read up more on Zoom teeth whitening so you can decide if it really is the best way to bring out your best smile. Visit Whitenmysmile.com.au to find out more about Zoom Tooth Whitening Melbourne CBD.
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It is important that one trusts not only their dentist but also the treatments their dentists use to help them with their quest for whiter teeth. To better understand your whitening options, learn more about here.
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Sensible Methods Of Commercial Real Estate - blog*spot
Sensible Methods Of Commercial Real Estate ? The Inside Track | Contacts Manufacturer Supplier Wholesaler Directory Blog: "Whether you are a property owner or looking at selling some property, you will likely see that buying and selling commercial property is a lot different from residential real estate. Take advantage of the tips in this article so that you can get insider information that most new commercial real estate investors don?t have access to.
Be patient! Commercial real estate deals take much longer! Don?t be discouraged by not closing your first deal yet! Just like anything, real estate has a steep learning curve. It will take extra long to get used to it ? screen the deals and make offers and such."
>> READ MORE
'via Blog this'
Source: http://arthurkowitzrealty.blogspot.com/2012/07/sensible-methods-of-commercial-real.html
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Blake Shelton, Asshole, Brags On Twitter About Killing A Turtle
Some people hunt for sport. Some people hunt for food. And some people run over with their car an Eastern Box turtle walking across the road. One of those people is country music star The Voice coach Blake Shelton, who tweeted yesterday, "Does anyone know if the Eastern Box turtle is protected in Oklahoma? If so I didn't just swerve to the shoulder of the road to smash one..." Cue a Nelson Muntz "HA HA."
An NPR blogger, Barbara J. King, at-replied Shelton and asked, "That turtle's life meant something - was your tweet a bad jke? Why would you be so cruel to a living being?" Shelton then at-replied ? doubly confirming his asshole status ? her "Shut up." He dodged dozens of angry tweeters dismissively and later tweeted, "For the last time I didn't hit a turtle! I haven't seen a turtle. I haven't seen a turtle! So please all you turtle freaks go back to eating your boogers! It's OK!" And of course, he didn't stop there: "What's wrong with people!!! Get a job! Get laid! For once!"?
Shelton claims that making his own roadkill was a joke and was not even in Oklahoma; he also tweeted about having raised money for "homeless animals." Because that's a thing people who love animals do, apparently? Joke about killing protected animals on Twitter? Yeah, I joke about disemboweling panda bears all the time!
Regardless of whether he killed a turtle or just showed poor judgment, the fact remains that Shelton and his wife Miranda Lambert, also a country star, are both big hunters. They served venison they shot themselves at their wedding and went fishing on their honeymoon. Whether you agree eating meat is ethical or not, hopefully people who eat animals they kill show some honor and respect at the animal's sacrifice; killing animals for no other reason than for your own amusement shows, in my opinion, no respect at all. A random act of violence against an animal he didn't intend to eat is indefensibly disrespectful and telling that NPR blogger "Shut up" is even more so. It makes me wonder whether Shelton has respect for the lives he and his wife take.
And I hate to say it, but this incident does nothing to improve the ignorant hick stereotype of some country music stars.?
Source: http://www.blackbookmag.com/blake-shelton-asshole-brags-on-twitter-about-killing-a-turtle-1.51221
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Interview: How to Become a Stronger Event Planner
We recently spoke with Kim Sullivan, SVP, CMO of the Event Planners Association. Kim founded the Event Planners Association in 2005 as a way to help event planners and independent business owners in the entertainment industry. Described as a ?one-stop? shop, the EPA assists their members through their in-house insurance agency, law firm, marketing specialists, continuing education, networking, and safety programs. One of the most unique features of the EPA is the various industries that their members are a part of ? ranging from florists, D.J.?s and wedding planners, to inflatable operators, venue owners and corporate planners (among many more!) Today, over 4,000 members belong to the EPA (and counting!) and live and work all over the country. The EPA is currently adding chapters in Denver and Cleveland.
Kim sat down and chatted with us about the Event Planners Association, the importance of building relationships, marketing skills and current trends in event planning:
Sarah: Please tell me a little bit about your background as an event planner. Was it a career that you originally intended to pursue, or was it a career choice that just sort of happened (so to speak). In addition to event planning, have you had previous careers? If so, what were those careers, and how did they help you as an event planner?
Kim Sullivan: Event planning was not a career path I intended to venture down.? My background is in advertising and marketing.? After 20 years in that industry I took a job with an entertainment company which managed Christian musicians and authors and handled music production for events worldwide.? My collective experience left me with a desire to empower independent business owners in the event industry.? My goal is to help them gain the knowledge, skills and mindset needed to build the businesses of their dreams.
Sarah: What inspired you to create the Event Planners Association? Can you tell me a little bit about the history of the Association?
KS: The Event Planners Association was created in 2005 as a service association.? The goal was to offer much needed business services to independent business owners in the events and amusement industry.? Our in-house law firm and in-house insurance agency allowed us to provide members with the specialized contracts, liability waivers, rental agreements and other documents as well as the proper insurance they desperately needed.? Our close relationship with industry insurance carriers allows us to advocate on behalf of our members and enable us to get them what they need to be protected.? Internet marketing was the third component included with EPA membership.? Our online directory allowed members to be seen by potential clients.
The EPA quickly gained a following and has well over 4,000 members nationwide.? In the last couple of years we have had an overwhelming demand for education and networking.? Those elements are being developed now with chapters launching all over the country (soon throughout the world) and an amazing educational program in the works.
What started as a service association has evolved into a full-service support system for independent business owners involved in all aspects of the event industry.? The EPA is essentially a support system designed to empower business owners.? Our goal is to help business owners succeed!
Sarah: he Event Planners Association has chapters all over the country. Where are the different chapters located, and are there any new areas where you would like to open chapters?
KS: The Event Planners Association has launched four chapters since October 2011.? They are located in Southern California, Chicago, NYC and Washington, DC.? We are launching Cleveland and Denver next week and have Phoenix and Raleigh-Durham coming up behind those.? We have another 15 in various stages of development throughout the country and are inundated with calls and emails from event professionals around the world wanting to start or join chapters.? We interview potential leaders carefully to determine their qualifications for these leadership opportunities.
The EPA will continue to develop chapters throughout the world to provide event professionals the ability to connect and plan events worldwide.
Sarah: The Event Planners Association is known for having members in nearly every field in the event planning industry. Have any of your members planned particularly unique events, and if so, what were some of the challenges they faced? Furthermore, have you yourself planned any particularly unique/tricky events?
KS: Members of the Event Planners Association cover every aspect of the event industry, from planners of every kind to musicians, venues, caterers, promotional items, bakers, dj?s, florists, inflatable operators, tables/chairs/tent rentals and everything in-between!? EPA members plan every kind of event imaginable and have the Association and other members for reference when they get stuck with odd situations and challenges.
Sarah: One of the key factors for any successful event planner to have is great networking skills. Do you have any advice on how event planners can improve their networking skills, as well as how networking came to be one of the most important factors of the EPA?
KS: It truly takes a ?village? to execute an event and it is through the connections with others in the event industry that an event comes to fruition.? Event professionals essentially work in clusters, referring business back and forth among each other.? Business owners work with people they know, like and trust.? Good networking skills and opportunities are crucial to not only building this network, but expanding it.? An event planner must have a number of ?go-to? people they can trust to deliver on everything from venues to photographers, from florists to linens, etc.? We have seen amazing relationships develop from our networking events.
Our chapter events are designed to develop and nurture the relationships among event pros in a geographic location.? With chapters across the country, we are now seeing referrals taking place nationally as well.? The goal is to have event pros work together to build their business together.? There is certainly enough business to go around and we believe it is better to embrace and empower each other than to have an adversarial relationship.
To be an effective networker, a business owner must be willing to develop a sincere relationship with someone.? As I mentioned, we all work with people we know, like and trust.? We can provide amazing opportunities for those in our ?network circle? and vice versa.? It?s all about the relationship, performance and professionalism.? That old saying, ?you get out what you put in? definitely applies to developing a network/relationship.
Sarah: Continuing education is also another key factor in the success of any event planner. What sort of continuing education programs would you recommend to event planners, and why? Are there any continuing education programs that are specific to certain event planning industries (such as wedding planners) that you would also recommend?
KS: Education for a beginner and continuing education for seasoned pros is a must.? It?s important to invest in yourself and your business with education which will broaden your knowledge and skill base.? Education can be the difference between the success or failure of an event professional?s business.
While there are no real standards for education in this industry, there are many great programs offered via major universities, community colleges and online.? Additionally, we are working with some of the most innovative professionals in the industry in creating continuing education programs that give business owners the knowledge and skills needed to build a business.
Sarah: In your opinion, what are some of the keys to success for event planners? For instance, how important is it for event planners to utilize marketing services? Or would you recommend that event planners learn how to market their services and events on their own?
KS: Aside from the obvious skills related to event management and creativity, at the end of the day, a business owner MUST learn to market themselves.? As an entrepreneur or as an employee, you are continually selling yourself, your services and your abilities.
As a marketing professional, I always suggest business owners develop business and marketing plans (if they haven?t already).? Our blog contains information to assist with this.? I think there are a few essentials to marketing an event business: know who you are and who you are not, know your target market and how to reach them, develop a good, clean website (there are template options available or a webmaster can be hired), develop a blog and consistently create interesting and informative content designed to make you an expert in your field, and network, network, network.? These are just the very basics of marketing.? Marketing education is an area we focus on as most people are not natural marketers and need guidance to compete in this arena.
Sarah: As a prominent member of the event planning industry, are there any event planning blogs/publications that you particularly enjoy or that you would recommend to our readers?
KS: Of course, I love our blog and newsletter (laughs), but I also think there are some good publications out there. Some that I like are Special Events Magazine, Bizbash, Event Solutions and Wedlock Magazine. Pinterest is fantastic for inspiration too.
I also think planners should be taking time to get inspiration from other places such as museums, window shopping expeditions, restaurants, etc. Read magazines outside of the event planning industry ? anything that is interesting to them; fashion, design, gardening, etc. A planner must nurture those creative juices!
Sarah: And finally, as a prominent member of the event planning industry, are there any current trends in event planning that you predict will be popular in the next year? For instance, macaroons have begun to surpass cupcakes in terms of quick and delicious sweets at events (although cupcakes are still quite popular). Are there any future trends such as these that you predict?
KS: We are seeing a variety of trends and yes, we agree that macaroons are quite popular.? We are still seeing candy buffets and cake pops gain in popularity. Destination events are popular as well. What?s interesting is that trends we see on the west or east coast tend to take a bit of time to make their way throughout the country, so what we may think has become pass? is just getting attention in another part of the country. This is an opportunity for event pros to take advantage of the trends.
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us Kim! And for more information on the Event Planners Association, you can visit EventPlannersAssociation.com!
-Written by Sarah Osman. You can read more from Sarah on Twitter.
For inquiries, please contact us at editorial at eventplanning.com.
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Source: http://www.eventplanning.com/how-to-become-stronger-event-planner/
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Monday, July 30, 2012
Q&A: English is my second language, I speak, write and understand ...
Posted by Free Article on July 30, 2012
Problem by LOKO6: English is my second language, I speak, write and comprehend but not as perfect as the folks born right here?
DOES IT MAKE ME INFERIOR TO THE Types WHO ONLY KNOW ENGLISH?
Should I Feel Undesirable FOR Getting A Mild ACCENT WHEN I Converse?
Best solution:
Solution by Dancingzombiez
Heck no, it will not!
You managed to learn a entirely new language and have the ability to compose and converse. Not every person can do that.
Apart from, the accent tends to make you fascinating and unique. )
Incorporate your own solution in the comments!
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How to Find Wholesale Sources - Totorus
Published by Nanni on Sunday, July 29, 2012 
Photo credit by Thomas Hawk
| Posted in ? small-business 
Photo credit by Thomas Hawk
Have you decided to start your own business? Do you plan to open a store, whether it be offline or online, to offer products to your target market? If you will not be manufacturing your own products, you will need to find wholesale sources. There are several different ways for you to find wholesale providers. You need to take the time to explore more than one option in order to find the best wholesale sources for your needs.
Purchase home based business and small business magazines. These magazines can be used for two different purposes. You can find valuable tips and ideas to help you launch your own successful business. You can often find advertisements for wholesale providers in these magazines as well. Write down a list of potential wholesale providers after looking through the magazines. You will later want to research these wholesale sources to find those with the best reputation.
You can search online for wholesale providers. Using the Internet will allow you to search for wholesale providers specific to the type of products you are offering. For example, if you are selling sporting goods, you can look for wholesale providers that specialize in sports and athletic products. You can even find wholesale directories that include lists of established wholesale providers throughout the world. With a little time spent on the computer, you can start to add to your list of potential wholesale providers.
Using the Internet and business magazines, will help you devise a list of potential wholesale providers. You do not want to go with the first wholesale provider you come across. It is important to view the websites of wholesale providers. Look for wholesale providers who have had a business established for several years. Search online for feedback as well as reviews on any wholesale sources of interest in order to rule out any that are not reputable.
Attending trade shows can help connect you with wholesale providers. When you attend a trade show, you can speak directly with any wholesale providers who are attending the show. This will give you the opportunity to learn more about the wholesale provider and to ask them questions. They should also have some samples of the products they offer for wholesale so that you can evaluate the quality of products.
When considering different wholesale sources, you will want to evaluate prices. Check to see if any of the providers offer sample products so that you can evaluate the quality of the items. After all, you want products that will be well received by your own clients.
If you have decided to try a drop shipment business where you will be offering products to clients through wholesale providers, you might even want to check eBay. eBay has many wholesale providers who work with drop shipment businesses. You can offer your clients a large volume of product choices without ever needing to carry your own inventory.
There are many ways for you to find good wholesale sources. You will need to carefully evaluate different options in order to find those that are most likely to contribute to the success of your business.
| Posted in ? small-business 
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Source: http://totorus.blogspot.com/2012/07/how-to-find-wholesale-sources.html
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New discovery of how carbon is stored in the Southern Ocean
ScienceDaily (July 29, 2012) ? A team of British and Australian scientists has discovered an important method of how carbon is drawn down from the surface of the Southern Ocean to the deep waters beneath. The Southern Ocean is an important
Reporting this week in the journal Nature Geoscience, scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and Australia's national research agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), reveal that rather than carbon being absorbed uniformly into the deep ocean in vast areas, it is drawn down and locked away from the atmosphere by plunging currents a thousand kilometres wide.
Winds, currents and massive whirlpools that carry warm and cold water around the ocean -- known as eddies -- create localised pathways or funnels for carbon to be stored.
Lead author, Dr Jean-Baptiste Sall?e from British Antarctic Survey says, "The Southern Ocean is a large window by which the atmosphere connects to the interior of the ocean below. Until now we didn't know exactly the physical processes of how carbon ends up being stored deep in the ocean. It's the combination of winds, currents and eddies that create these carbon-capturing pathways drawing waters down into the deep ocean from the ocean surface.
"Now that we have an improved understanding of the mechanisms for carbon draw-down we are better placed to understand the effects of changing climate and future carbon absorption by the ocean."
CSIRO co-author, Dr Richard Matear says the rate-limiting step in the anthropogenic carbon uptake by the ocean is the physical transport from the surface into the ocean interior.
"Our study identifies these pathways for the first time and this matches well with observationally-derived estimates of carbon storage in the ocean interior," Dr Matear says.
Due to the size and remote location of the Southern Ocean, scientists have only recently been able to explore the workings of the ocean with the help of small robotic probes -- known as Argo floats. In 2002, 80 floats were deployed in the Southern Ocean to collect information on the temperature and salinity. This unique set of observations spanning 10 years has enabled scientists to investigate this remote region of the world for the first time. The floats are just over a metre in length and dive to depths of 2km. Today, there are over 3,000 floats in the oceans worldwide providing detailed information used in oceanic climate models.
The team also analysed temperature, salinity and pressure data collected from ship-based observations since the 1990s. The instrument used for this is called a CTD profiler which is a cluster of sensors taking measurements as it's lowered deep down into the ocean to depths of more than 7km.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by British Antarctic Survey.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Jean-Baptiste Sall?e, Richard J. Matear, Stephen R. Rintoul, Andrew Lenton. Localized subduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the Southern Hemisphere oceans. Nature Geoscience, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1523
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120729142245.htm
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US intelligence predicts poverty plummet by 2030
ASPEN, Colo. (AP) ? Poverty across the planet will be virtually eliminated by 2030, with a rising middle class of some two billion people pushing for more rights and demanding more resources, the chief of the top U.S. intelligence analysis shop said Saturday.
If current trends continue, the 1 billion people who live on less than a dollar a day now will drop to half that number in roughly two decades, Christoper Kojm said.
"We see the rise of the global middle class going from one to two billion," Kojm said, in a preview of the National Intelligence Council's global forecast offered at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.
"Even if some of the most dire predictions of economic upheaval" in the coming years prove accurate, the intelligence council still sees "several hundred million people...entering the middle class," Kojm said.
The National Intelligence Council analyzes critical national security issues drawing from all U.S. intelligence agencies. The unclassified global forecast, which is due out by the end of the year, tries to "describe drivers of future behavior" to help government agencies from the White House to the State Department plan future policy and programs, Kojm said.
The rising middle class will have little tolerance of authoritarian regimes, combined with the economic resources and education needed to challenge them.
"Governance will be increasingly difficult in countries with rising incomes," he said, adding "middle-class people have middle-class values and aspirations" for greater individual empowerment and are now armed with social media and other technological tools to bring that about, including the overthrow of repressive governments.
Education levels are also rising, with graduation rates for women set to exceed that of men if current trends continue.
On the negative side, Kojm predicted food demand will rise by 50% in the next 18 years, though global population will only rise from 7.1 to 8.3 billion. Middle-class people want middle-class diets, which are heavy in meat, requiring more water and grain to produce, he said.
Adding to that, "nearly 50% of humanity will live in water-stressed regions by 2030," he said.
But Kojm also predicted that new technological developments could help close the gap between food and water shortages and need.
More people will migrate to cities, he said. Some 50% of the world lives in urban areas now, rising to 60% by 2030.
The growth of the Asian economies, such as China, is expected to continue, but Kojm said the rising median age of China's workers means it may be overtaken by countries with cheaper labor like India, Vietnam and Indonesia.
___
Dozier can be reached on Twitter: http://twitter.com/kimberlydozier
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-intelligence-predicts-poverty-plummet-2030-211653428.html
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Online Business Diversification Part Two - David Wood's MLM blog
Click Here For Part One?
Info Products, Lots Of Them!
Launching an information product is easily one of the most hands free strategies for diversifying your online business.
Every day millions of people turn to the Internet in search of a solution.
A solution to a problem they?d like to solve.
?And you know what? MOST people will gladly hand their hard earned money over to you in return for an information product?
An information product that promises to solve their problem.
It?s a very straight forward business model and has countless advantages over selling traditional physical products.
- Information products don?t cost anything to produce.
- You create them once and they can be downloaded an infinite number of times, completely free.
- You don?t have to be involved in the selling process. Visitors arrive at your site, read the sales page, pay you the cash and download the product without you ever knowing. You get to wake up to new sales that were made while you were sleeping. It?s like owning an offline store that runs without human intervention.
- The product sells 24 hours a day.
- Affiliates do all the selling for you.
As I said; launching and selling your own information product is fairly straight forward. For this strategy; it?s best to pick a micro niche or a niche within a broad niche. Unless you have a killer product with a killer sales funnel and lots of money to put towards acitvely marketing; you won?t do so well with info products in the mainstream niches.
The mainstream niches are wealth, health and relationships. Instead you need to dive deeper into the niches and find something more targeted with less competition. For example the mole removal or yeast infection treatment niches within the health niche.
Both substantial niches with A TON of traffic. People searching for ways to get rid of their moles or yeast infections. As you can imagine, those are the kinds of people who?d rather buy an information product to find a solution than visit a doctor. I actually know a guy who has info products in both niches. He doens?t market his products at all, but they routinely make him 4 figures a month.
Once you find a sub niche with a lot of traffic, but not huge amounts of competition; create a product. You simply need to research into what the market wants; what other people are selling?successfully?and create your own product. The info products themselves can be ebooks, audios, videos or bundles.
I?m not going to go into the ins and outs of product creation; as there?s an endless supply of information and courses out there to teach you that. Once your product is created, you can hire a copywriter, a graphic designer and a tech guy to setup your sales page and download area.
That?s nearly all you have to do.
At this point you would have a fully functioning sales page, next you just add it to a network like Clickbank. Clickbank is a marketplace for digital products, there are many others, but Clickbank is highly popular with affiliates.
I believe you can have you product listed on Clickbank for under $100 and it?s a great investment. Doing all of the above, you?ll?successfully?have launched an info product onto the Clickbank marketplace.
As time goes by, affiliates in the niche will come across your product and if they like it; they?ll promote it for you. You just pay them a commission and the cool thing is; all of this happens automatically.
This strategy is about volume because you?re not actively promoting your info products.
To really excel and propel your product sales to new heights; you can come ?up with a marketing plan, recruit affiliates and improve your sales funnel. As your conversion rates increase and more?affiliates?promote your info products; they?ll achieve a higher Clickbank gravity and hit the first page of Clickbank in their respective categories.
This means more affiliates?will come across them, promote them and make you more money.
The more info products you have in a marketplace; the more diversification you build. If one business flops and you need to make some extra cash; you?ll always have several proven to convert products to promote.
Simply creating and launching info products onto a marketplace like Clickbank won?t make you rich, either will creating a physical product. If you want your products to sell; you need to promote them via marketinhg. Relying on affiliates to stumble upon your product/s is a fools game, you could say.
But with enough products on a marketplace in the right niches with limited offers, it works!
It results in completely passive ?hands free? cash flow; but to really succeed with info products, MARKETING is the answer.
Click here for part three.
Source: http://workwithdavidwood.com/online-business-diversification-part-two/
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Sunday, July 29, 2012
Exec who pulled Facebook ads out at General Motors
By Paul A. Eisenstein, TheDetroitBureau.com
Joel Ewanick, the agent of change brought in by General Motors just over two years ago to shake up its moribund marketing operations, has unexpectedly resigned.
In a terse statement issued Sunday evening the maker said only that the 52-year-old executive ?has elected to resign immediately.? Alan Batey, GM?s vice president of U.S. Sales and Service, will step in as global marketing chief on an interim basis.
Exactly what led to Ewanick?s sudden departure isn?t clear but it takes even those working close to the marketing czar by surprise.??In fact, it appears to have taken Ewanick himself by surprise.??The former Hyundai marketing chief appeared on the Internet TV show Autoline After Hours barely a week ago and it was clear, ?This was not a guy who saw this coming,? said host John McElroy.
A report in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal suggests the departure was a result of an unspecified confrontation between Ewanick and GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson and, according to several sources, as recently as this morning it was under discussion whether the marketing chief?s departure would be described as voluntary or if GM would say he had been terminated.
TheDetroitBureau.com:?Lotus Pulls Back on Ambitious Product Plan -- Is VW Bid in Offing?
With his departure it is likely that GM?s marketing efforts will again fall under close scrutiny -- all the more so when, as expected, the company next week reports a massive slump in earnings for the second quarter.?
?Dan Akerson is coming under intense scrutiny,? said long-time automotive analyst McElroy. Another source, asking not to be identified by name, put it more bluntly: ?People will be asking how did that guy ever get that job??
The former telecommunications chief was given the CEO title barely a year after GM?s emergence from Chapter 11 when Ed Whitacre -- who took over the reorganized company -- decided to step down. Akerson quickly positioned himself as a hard-driving change agent ousting virtually all of GM?s old guard and bringing in an assortment of new talent including Ewanick.?
TheDetroitBureau.com: Fewer teens go for drivers' license
The boyish marketing chief had built a strong reputation helping turn around a company that had a poor reputation with buyers other than those on a tight budget. By the time he left, Hyundai had become one of the country?s fastest-growing automotive brands.?
Ewanick did a brief stint at Nissan in early 2010, apparently because GM couldn?t complete the hiring process.??When it came back with the right offer he jumped ship again.
Since then, Ewanick has shown a willingness to slaughter even the most sacred cows, terminating long-time relationships, such as the decades-long alliance between the Chevrolet brand and Detroit ad agency Campbell-Ewald.??Earlier this year, he rocked the ad world by announcing GM would pull out of the 2013 Super Bowl and by almost simultaneously deciding to pull its $10 million Facebook ad account.
Those moves triggered angry responses, Facebook management, for example, going directly to Akerson hoping to reverse the embarrassing decision -- which became fodder for headlines just days before the social media site?s disastrous IPO.
Not everyone has been impressed.???I just don?t see the work,? said a senior Detroit ad agency executive asking not to be named.??The exec pointed to a series of ads produced under Ewanick?s tenure that could hardly be differentiated from what the Chevy brand aired prior to the marketing shake-up.
TheDetroitBureau.com: Hyundai defies Euro downturn; pushes up profits
But others defend Ewanick?s work, including McElroy: ?What you have to do is judge results. The question is whether Joel Ewanick has done a good job of taking the Chevrolet and Cadillac brands global. Chevy set a sales record last year and last month Malibu nearly outsold Camry while the new Sonic (subcompact) has done a real good job at the small end.?
But Ewanick was also in charge of marketing abroad and GM is having a disastrous time in Europe, where it is expected to post several billion dollars in losses this year.
That has led to a series of additional personnel moves including the recent ouster of GM Europe CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke and several of his top lieutenants.
But the shake-ups have been coming at home, as well.??In recent weeks a number of well-known executive have resigned or retired, including Chevy Volt program chief Tony Posawatz, Cadillac?s vehicle chief Dave Leone, and David Lyon, who was set to head design for German-based Opel.
TheDetroitBureau.com:?Silver still king, but automakers look to ?naturally cultivated? colors
Nonetheless, ?The timing of this (Ewanick?s departure) is very strange,? said Rebecca Lindland, chief analyst with IHS Automotive, ?coming on Sunday rather than waiting until next week when they have a conference call to announce the monthly sales numbers.?
Lindland and several other observers contacted by TheDetroitBureau.com said another odd sign was the fact that normally knowledgeable inside company sources admitted being completely in the dark about the latest development.??Even the normally in-tune GM PR department was apparently caught by surprise.
One source indicated that it was only decided hours before a press release finally went out that Ewanick?s departure would be described as a ?voluntary? resignation.??That, said several observers, raises questions about whether there was more behind the departure than simply a disagreement over policy.?
Going forward, it remains to be seen what sort of ripple effect Ewanick?s resignation will have.??Chris Perry, one of his top lieutenants from Hyundai came over to GM to run the Chevrolet brand.??Meanwhile, the entire General Motors marketing operation has been reshaped in Ewanick?s image, including a controversial new entity combining teams from several different major ad agencies put together to handle the Chevy account.
It?s clear that the impact of the Sunday announcement will be felt and analyzed for some time to come.
TheDetroitBureau.com:?Highway fatalities unexpectedly surge
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Teleseminars | Writing and Speaking For Everyone - Rollins - Typepad
Telecourses or perhaps teleseminars are some of the best methods a data marketer offers with regard to developing great saleable content. But producing and saving a web seminar to convert in a training product, may be greater than a brand-new manufacturer is capable of. Which is unfortunate. Due to the fact making a telecourse or perhaps seminar is actually effortless ? should you choose it correct.
However , nearly all fresh producers do it incorrect!
In the event you listen to almost all of the experts, developing a telecourse or even teleseminar is not hard. Merely take a moment, start up your duplicate involving Ms powerpoint or even Keynote, then start itemizing out there what you need to convey. When you find yourself completed just sign on to your service provider, upload and begin chatting. Not a problem.
It?s no difficulty for them since that isn?t how they do it. They have got somebody else create this for them and they possess a teleprompter that feeds all of them what things to declare.
Nevertheless think about everyone else that has to create the goods we?re going to promote?
In the following paragraphs, I?m going to reveal the a little gem I have discovered for making the first telecourse. You can now create a webinar. It merely requires knowing how.
A single. Let enough time
If you think the particular gurus, it will lead you around an hour to prepare any one-hour web conferencing. Of course, they are underestimating terribly. Your Chapman Coalition review approximated that one hours associated with webinar will require about forty-three a long time associated with planning moment an average of. Even though your system pertaining to developing online seminars will affect the period, you ought to be happy to invest 1 week for every hr from the very first telecourse you generate.
2. Piece of software it out 1st
Among the techniques that well-experienced trainers depend upon will be the capability to fill-in information. A number of lines will give them adequate info in order to chat for a few minutes about them. And because they may be very well skilled, they could accomplish that together with handful of problems. They can additionally grab from which they left off once they carry out. Learning this kind of skill needs numerous years of exercise. Fortunately, new producers don?t need to depend on possessing kissed your Blarney Gemstone. There are lots of free of charge teleprompter programs available. Even so, one which just make use of them you have to produce a set of scripts. Writing down what you should state will save you the need to recover it as you go, makes it easier to recover and will allow you to concentrate on the method that you are saying the language rather than precisely what terms you?ll want to point out. It makes sense a greater high quality business presentation and a far more relaxed presenter.
Three or more. Test it 1st
by?http://www.lizzikitaen.com?hljgetc?http://www.hljgetc.com/
Regardless of how long you?re delivering teleseminars and also telecourses, this often allows you put into practice. There exists a reason why expert famous actors run through regarding weeks prior to appearing around the stage. When coming up with the first telecourse maybe five-hundred and very first, you will find gonna be tough areas inside your very first programs. It?s inevitable. Only exercise will highlight wherever individuals tough spots are generally and provide you with the opportunity to modify all of them. Which can be another reason you must piece of software the telecourse. The software allows you to know that the updates are in reality staying incorporated over the following exercise. Understanding that it?s wise staying polished.
Source: http://writingandspeaking.co.cc/teleseminars-2/
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Source: http://zachariah963.typepad.com/blog/2012/07/teleseminars-writing-and-speaking-for-everyone.html
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Genki Tummy: My Baby Shower
Mike and I are so fortunate to have such wonderful friends here in Texas! We've been here for a little under three years and have made some great friends at work and outside of work. Here's some pictures from my baby shower.?
Cake Pops! Look how pretty they are! One of my co-workers and her daughter made this cute tasty treats! Thanks Pat!
A couple of my friends planned and hosted a baby shower for me a couple of weekends ago. I am so overwhelmed by all their generosity and our baby girl is lucky that she now has more than everything she needs.? We also cannot forget to mention all the friends and family that we have back home who have been checking up on us and letting us know that we are in their thoughts.
Our baby girl is so spoiled and she has not even been born yet! She has tons of clothes, toys, and safety items from all her aunties and uncles. We now have her crib, mattress, infant seat, stroller, swing, boppy, bumbo, bath tub, teether, nasal aspirator, first aid kit, creams, bottles, towels, receiving blankets, diapers (disposable and cloth), activity mat educational toys, food maker, hats, socks, and the list goes on and on!? I hope she likes pink, lambs, bunnies, and carrots because that's sort of the theme her mommy has been planning for her.
My shower had a Candyland theme to it. Look at this cake that my friends slaved over. ? So cute!Vegetable Platter
Fruit Platter
Toasted Ravioli
We also decorated onesies, bibs and burp cloths. Yes, I have some math and science-y friends who are starting our baby out with science-y onesies. ?I guess that's what happens when most of your friends are scientists or engineers. ?Hopefully our baby will enjoy math and science!
See the other math onesie on the left side of this cute sunny onesie?
Look at this cute idea. My friend cut the bottoms off of an egg carton container to use as a fabric paint storage container.Here's a simple sunflower onesie. ?So artistic!
Aunty Kendell made these. Can you tell? ?I told her that the baby's mommy cannot afford Villanova unless she's on scholarship. ?
Another cute and simple onesie!
Baby can come any day now! ?She's made it to the full-term stage and it's only a matter of time! My sister asked me if we're all prepared and ready...and actually I think Mike and I are. ?I'm sure that there are a bunch of things that we are missing and have not thought off, but for the most part we are at a comfortable place. ?Plus, it does help that we have wonderful and supportive friends and family!
Source: http://genkitummy.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-baby-shower.html
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The Nonprofit Sub-Par Management Debate
The Parties Involved
I?ve just touched upon an interesting topic that I feel compelled to dive into ? about nonprofits having sub-par management. It started with a research paper that said YES, they do have sub-par management, and that led to an outraged response from 2 authors from the Nonprofit Quarterly which led to a marketing blogger?s response of well?nonprofit leaders really do need better business and marketing skills, and ends with me saying HELL YES they do.
The Whole Story
Article #1 from the Journal of Business Research
In search of responsible CEOs: The case of CEOs with non-profit experience ? September 2012
This one cost me $31.50 to read and I had to slap myself awake a few times but I did survive the reading and here is the gist of it.
The study ?examines whether prior non-profit experience signals a lower/higher tendency for mismanagement at the CEO level.? For ?mismanagement? they are mainly referring to the frequency and types of financial statement restatements during a specific time period.
It?s not focused on nonprofits but on CEOs in Corporate America with nonprofit experience. One hypothesis was that there would be no connection between the level of fraud and mismanagement in corporations ? mostly because people attracted to the nonprofit world tend to not be motivated by money.
The 2nd hypothesis (which I had a harder time with their supporting info ? as did the authors of Article #2) was that since nonprofits were so inefficient they would attract CEOs that tend to mismanage.
The result when they compared their test subjects to their control group was that firms headed by non-profit CEOs had a lot more financial restatements resulting from ?accounting irregularities including aggressive accounting practices, intentional and unintentional misuse of facts applied to financial statements, oversight or misinterpretation of accounting rules, and fraud.? This led them to their final conclusion of:
?Prior non-profit experience may be an important indicator of an above-average propensity for mismanagement and/or negligence at the corporate level.?
As a previous founder and CEO of a nonprofit organization and working closely with lots of nonprofits as a consultant, I can?t entirely disagree with this statement. I think a lot of nonprofit leaders are severely undereducated ? I?m not talking about a lack of degrees ? but a lack of actual management training, which includes board development, human resources management, and a serious knowledge of accounting and business principles.
Article #2 from the Nonprofit Quarterly:
Nonprofits ?Attract and/or Mold? Subpar Managers? Hogwash! ? July 23rd 2012
Article #2 focuses mainly on this quote (which the authors are upset about) that they attribute to the author of article #1 which actually the author of article #1 claims it came from Monster.com ? although I have a hard time believing Monster.com would actually try to dissuade people from working at nonprofits:
?Many nonprofits are stressful places to work because of the chaotic nature of their organizations and decision-making. Some are highly political and bureaucratic. Boards of directors often work against their best interests. Some nonprofits have notorious reputations for administrative incompetence and disorganization; lack quality personnel and staff development; operate with antiquated equipment and from cramped quarters; and have attitude problems.
Relationships between the CEO, board members, staff and volunteers can become a nightmare. If you prize strong leadership, clear decision points, high levels of efficiency and the latest in office technology, many nonprofit organizations will disappoint, frustrate, and discourage you. If you can tolerate ambiguity, inefficiency and chaos and function well in makeshift work environments, you may do well in such work environments.?
My sister (who works in Corporate America) would definitely argue that this can just as easily describe her world as it could mine. But I am continuously shocked to see nonprofits that are scarily disorganized and clearly mismanaged, receiving regular government, corporate, and foundation funding with little oversight from the funding institutions; they obviously look good on the outside, but not so much on the inside.
The authors of Article #2 end their article with this statement:
?We guess if you were to see efficiency as the maximization of profits alone, maybe you?d have a case but it might come with threats to the well-being of patients, staff and taxpayers. Ah well.?
And to me, that statement embodies the problems I see with many nonprofits ? a distrust of traditional business methods combined with a belief that as long as we?re doing good things we don?t have to be as efficient, or even as accountable, as a for-profit.
Article #3 from Elaine Fogel, Totally Uncorked on Marketing
Do Nonprofits Have ?Sub-Par? Management? ? July 25th 2012
Elaine responds to Article #2 and comments:
?Of course, there are exceptions, but overall, leaders need better business and marketing skills. The general ?mindset? needs to change to one of greater innovation, managed risk taking, and investment.?
I completely agree with her. It seems clear that she and her colleagues have had some close encounters of the inefficient nonprofit kind as we have also had.
I?ve actually sat in on board meetings filled with board members from Corporate America who literally seem to leave all their business sense at the door. I love the compassion but we need business skills with it. I know of nonprofits with multi-million dollar budgets that still have a slight variation of their original ?yes? boards (from Boards From Hell ? my absolute favorite book when I started my nonprofit ? your first board when you start is usually a group of friends who say yes to everything you do).
I?ve seen nonprofits plow through fund development directors every few months (blaming the economy and the development directors) with no one stopping to think that: a) leadership is unable to make sound hiring decisions or b) leadership doesn?t know enough about fund development themselves to track and evaluate (and take responsibility for) the development hires and their decisions. Also, when a project takes 6 months for a decision to start, or when a 3-month project takes 2 years to complete, these things scare me from a donor?s perspective.
Real Capacity Building
I know a lot of foundations are focusing on ?capacity-building? and I think that funding (from any major funding source) needs to come with a REAL evaluation of the inner workings of the non-profit to identify their greatest needs from an outside source ? in a helpful and non-threatening way so that nonprofits can get to the real source of their funding issues and obstacles. Wouldn?t that make an interesting reality show? Turning Tabitha?s Salon Takeover into Tabitha?s Nonprofit Takeover?
I remember getting some extra help from a government grantor that was invaluable in helping me set up internal processes and I had applied for and received a mentor for one year (through a local foundation) that really helped me identify weaknesses and grow the nonprofit I had started. It?s not easy to identify problems when you are standing in them; and most money problems can?t be fixed with more money. I also think there is a serious lack of quality training for nonprofits ? but that?s a whole other article and I think I?ve gone on way too long with this one already.
Source: http://branded4good.com/blog/infrastructure/nonprofit-subpar-management-debate/
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Saturday, July 28, 2012
The ISESCO Dismisses Abusively a Moroccan Researcher for ...
By Loubna Flah
Morocco World News
Casablanca, July 27, 2012
Ms. FA C., a brilliant and young Moroccan researcher could not imagine that the mere fact of demanding her legitimate rights would cost her position as an administrative assistant in the department of culture and communication in the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization( ISESCO). She preferred to keep her anonymity for personal reasons.
The Moroccan researcher had addressed earlier a letter to the ISESCO director general Mr. Abdelaziz Touijri claiming the right to be affiliated to the National Fund for Social Security commonly known as the CNSS. Ms. FA.C advocated also the right to have the status and the salary of a program specialist in equivalence with her MA degree as stipulated in the ISESCO internal charter. She also expressed her right to have a permanent job after six month of work in addition to the right to social security coverage after retirement.
Faced with the director general lethargy, Ms. F.C delegated the matter to her lawyer who sent a letter to the ISESCO president Mr. Touijri urging him to grant Ms. FA.C her rights in compliance with the ISESCO internal charter.
In an interview with Morocco World News, Ms. FA.C said that ?the ISESCO received a letter with my demands via my lawyer on July 17th. The following day and with no further delay I was handed the dismissal letter and asked to leave my office in a very rude way. I was not even allowed to log out form my mailbox and to switch off my computer?
The head of administrative affairs who signed the dismissal decision states that Ms. FA.C was fired because she committed a serious mistake without stating explicitly the kind of mistake that owed her position inside the Islamic organization. He adds that she had breached the ISESCO organic law.
Ms. FA.C earned a BA in Islamic theology and a BA in political science from Mohammed V University in Rabat. She graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in UK where she obtained an MA degree in cultural policy and management. She also obtained a fellowship position in Women, Religion and Globalization project at Yale University in the USA. She is currently conducting her PHD research in religion and politics. Ms. FA.C signed a contract with the ISESCO on March 21, 2011.
Ms. FA.C pinpoints that there are similar antecedent cases of abusive dismissal where one of her former colleagues was fired who has resorted to justice to recover his rights. It is noteworthy that the ministry of foreign affairs and solidarity has already requested the ISESCO to register all its employees including the contractors like Ms. FA.C to social security.
The ISESCO is an Islamic organization that aims at promoting and the consolidating cooperation opportunities among the members of the OIC (the Organization of Islamic Conference) in the fields of education, science, culture and communication. The ISESCO seeks also to promote tolerance, world peace and security through its various programs.
The ISESCO current director general Mr. Touijri has been at the head of the Islamic for organization since 1991 though the ISESCO charter stipulates in the Article 13th that the president can be elected by the General Conference for a three-year term, renewable only twice, upon a proposal by the Executive Council. This incident raises serious questions regarding the ISESCO obligations towards its employees as well as the transparency in its management.
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Insurance: Which Travel Policy is Right for You? | Chris Around The ...
What type of travel policy is best for your trip? A breakdown of things to consider, depending on what kind of vacation you?re taking.
I recently researched a piece for Bankrate.com about what type of travel policy you would consider for various trips. This is an abridged version. Remember, before you buy any policy, check to see if you?re already covered through your credit card or through your homeowners or renters insurance policy.
Photo by Jekkone, Flickr Creative Commons?
Visiting family:?Comprehensive travel insurance policies can cover common problems, such as lost baggage, trip cancellations or interruptions, travel delays from weather or illness, and medical care on the road.?While the costs vary, for most packages you?ll pay between 4 percent and 8 percent of the total trip cost, according to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association (UStiA). Rates are based on the length and cost of the trip, the age of the purchaser and where you?re going. More expensive trips cost more to insure and you?ll pay more if you?re older.
Photo by NASA Goddard Photo and Video, Flickr Creative Commons?
Resort during hurricane season:?While most comprehensive travel insurance policies do cover weather problems and delays, the hurricane has to become more than a threat ? you aren?t covered if the storm doesn?t hit. Your best solution might be a?policy that allows you to cancel for any reason. These policies can cost up to 50 percent more than a regular policy, but they do give you more latitude over your plans and cover up to 75 percent of your costs. Act fast, though: usually you only buy these plans within two weeks after making your initial trip deposit.
Another reason to buy your insurance early: You get a waiver of the pre-existing medical condition clause that?s a part of most travel policies. If you delay and then become subject to this clause, your insurer will be able to look into your medical history and refuse to cover any claims related to a medical issue you had before the trip.
Photo by simon_music, Flickr Creative Commons?
International travel:?Besides helping with rebooking and refunds during unplanned weather delays or natural acts, travel insurance can protect you from the transportation delays and cancellations you might experience from national labor strikes. Some policies cover evacuation due to political unrest, and travel insurance also can help if you lose your passport.
Many people don?t realize that most U.S. health insurance plans do not cover you outside the country. If you?re looking for medical travel insurance, study comprehensive travel insurance plans to make sure they include medical treatment.?Those who are going to more remote locations may want to take the extra step of getting an air-medical transport membership from a company such as MedjetAssist. If a member is hospitalized more than 150 miles from home ? virtually anywhere in the world ? MedjetAssist?reviews his or her condition with the attending medical staff, and will arrange for a medically equipped and staffed aircraft to fly them free of charge to the hospital of their choice.
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Cruises:?If you?ve booked plane tickets to the port through the cruise line or a travel agent and have what?s known as a ?cruise fare,? the airline must get you to the next port of call if your flight arrives too late. But if you bought your tickets yourself, a travel insurance policy that covers flight delays could save your trip.
Assistance programs that some travel insurers provide can come in handy if your ship suffers a mechanical failure or if extreme weather forces you to be dropped off in a different location than expected. While the ships usually offer some compensation for these problems, people who have travel insurance can usually call a hotline to get rebooked ? and reimbursed ? sooner.
Photo by Zach Dischner, Flickr Creative Commons?
Extreme sports: Activities perceived as dangerous or risky, such as sky diving, cave exploring or rock climbing, aren?t covered in most policies. So if extreme sports are on your itinerary, you?ll need to buy rider that covers possible injuries. The?right kind of travel insurance also can help protect expensive gear.
This post was brought to you by World First Insurance.?
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Source: http://caroundtheworld.com/2012/07/28/travel-insurance-which-travelpolicy-is-right-for-you/
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